All Natural Superheroes Pt 2 Articles
Call it a sixth sense, or evolution?s gift to these cold-blooded reptiles: some snakes have infrared vision. Also called ?heat vision,? the infrared rays, which have longer wavelengths than those of visible light, signify the presence of warm-blooded prey in 3 dimensions, which helps snakes aim their attacks. Pit vipers and boids, the two snake types that possess this ability, have heat-sensitive membranes that can detect the difference in temperature between a moving prey?such as a running mouse?and its surroundings on the scale of milliKelvins.
The microscopic tardigradealso known as the water bearis the only animal that can survive the cold, irradiated vacuum of outer space. We talked to leading tardigrade researchers to find out what makes these little guys so amazing.
The Earth’s only immortal species is a tiny transparent jellyfish that travels the world in the ballast tanks of cargo ships.
